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Let’s Save Dighomi Forest Part!

September 27, 2010
Salome Achba

On September 23, the civil society protested the illegal alienation of the territory in the Dighomi forest-park. The event was organized by the Foundation Open Society – Georgia and the Caucasian Environmental NGO Network (CENN), the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA), the Human Rights Center (HRIDC), Studio “Monitor”, Caucasian House and Ana Gabriadze’s Initiative Group.

On September 11, 2009 Tbilisi City Council introduced amendments to the general plan for the perspective development of the capital based on the project of the Tbilisi City Hall and changed the list of recreation zones into zones of public-business and residential zones. The Dighomi forest-park, which has long history and is prominent with its unique flora, also turned into a public-business zone.

The journalistic investigation of the Studio “Monitor” estimated that famous members of the United National Movement – the ruling party – misappropriated the plots in the 8 hectares of the land which was sold out based on the resolution of the city council on September 11, 2009. The current owners of the land are: MPs from the National Movement – Kakhaber Okriashvili, Koba Kurdghelashvili, Giorgi Goguadze and Davit Bezhuashvili. The mother of the Sport Minister of Georgia Lado Vardzelashvili lives in the so-called youth palace in the middle of the Dighomi forest-park with her family.

The civil society, who gathered at the environmental event on September 23, saw the documentary film of the Studio “Monitor”. The participants of the event said the civil society should struggle to save the forest-park and protest demonstration is one way for it.

“The GYLA appealed to the prosecutor’s office regarding the Dighomi forest-park. We think several officials have committed crimes. Although we have appealed to the prosecutor’s office, there was no respond yet. We brought suit to the court too. Currently, the case is being discussed at the City Court. Since we could not reach justice through the legal methods, we decided to organize an event to attract the public interest to the problem by the protest demonstration,” said the head of the GYLA Tamar Khidasheli.

The lawyers of the GYLA prepared a suit of the CENN and painter Ana Gabriadze. On October 12 of 2009 the CENN and Ana Gabriadze appealed to the court against the 47th part of the resolution of the city council on changing the status of the most part of the Dighomi forest-park.

The Tbilisi City Court discussed the suit on June 23, 2010. The defense side could not provide valid arguments for the amended status of the forest-park at the trial. The so-called conclusion of the common commission, which was basis for the decision-making process in accordance to the project amendments, was not enclosed to the case materials. Furthermore, according to the official letter, the Tbilisi city council does not have information about similar commission at all.

“We requested information about the common commission from the city council but they do not seem to have similar information at all. The violation regarding the decision of the Tbilisi City Council is also very interesting. More precisely, there are two versions of one decision on the changing of the recreation status of the forest-park: in one version only one hectare of the park has its status changed; while in the second version entire 8 hectare has it changed. However, the documents were issued under one number and date. The City Council should clear up which is correct of these two versions,” said the representative of the CENN Rezo Getiashvili.

The Foundation “Open Society – Georgia” funded the environmental event of the NGOs. “Our foundation responded to the initiative of several active and nice people – particularly of Ana Gabriadze’s initiative with several NGOs. It is a new campaign to save the Dighomi forest-park. We think this is important forest-park not only for Dighomi district but for the entire Tbilisi. There are many unique plants here which are enlisted in the Red Book too. There is very pleasant environment for youth, children, and elderly people in this park. So, we want to try to prevent its division into separate business or residential zones. We should save at least what has left from the park,” said Keti Khutsishvili, director of the Foundation “Open Society – Georgia.”

As the head of “Kavkasiuri Sakhli” (Caucasian house), writer Naira Gelashvili states: “the biography of forest-park has eternally been linked to the biography of one young artist so that they almost turned into one being. This artist is Ana Gabriadze, who first stepped in the kingdom of huge oaks and maples in 1999… Since that you could often see Mrs. Ana dressed in the rubber boots and working clothes, busy with saving every tree and bush.”

Aba Gabriadze, an artist, is one of the organizers of the auction: “These kinds of auctions have a big significance, as not many Tbilisi residents know where the air that they breathe comes from. This forest-park is the lungs of the city. More correctly, that which is left from this lungs – 20.5 hectare. And according to the resolution of the City Council, that we are protesting against, this lungs was cut off 8 more hectare,” – states Ana Gabriadze.

The environmental auction was attended by the diplomats from embassies and international organizations accredited in Georgia, also, the representatives of NGOs, City Hall, City Council, media and famous people.

“This is a green zone fulfilling the function of city lungs. It should be of universal service, not privatized under private persons. Every individual is obligated to fight for saving this forest-park,” – told us Iuri Mechitov, a photo artist.

“Environmental protection, of course, is very important. I would like to say that, for example, the capital of our country, Riga has a lot more greenery plantings than Tbilisi. Every forest zone inside the city is of a very high value,” – states the ambassador of Latvia in Georgia, Andris Vilkans, whose trip to Digomi forest-camp was guided by Aleko Tskitishvili, the main editor of the Human Rights Center website, humanrights.ge

“Business and money is not the main thing. You should know how to spend this money correctly! I think it’s necessary to plant new forest-parks in Tbilisi and not to destroy the existing. Singlehandedly, I have a negative attitude towards the cutting down of trees,” – states the president of Georgina pen club, Davit Kartvelishvili.

Shorena Shavedashvili, editor of magazine “Liberal”: “It’s my first time in this forest-camp. Right at entering, my mood was instantly changed. From the noise of city where the air is replete with the car smoke, I found myself in a complete oasis – a forest. Green zones are very important for the city. This is the place where you remember that you belong to nature. The cutting down of trees will be very harmful for each one of us. We will lose the lungs of the city. We will lose the place where we can breathe. Even the big cities like New-York, Paris and London have numerous greenery plantings and this creates the micro climate. Without them, the city will turn into a place comprised of concrete, stone and breathless buildings where people become strangers for the natural environment. That’s why I think it’s very important to maintain this place as a forest-camp.”

The participants of the auction hope for more public participation in the saving of Digomi forest-camp. Though it was raining in the evening of September 23rd in Digomi forest-camp, nobody thought of leaving. The guests opened their umbrellas and entirely saw “President Saakashvili against Misha,” a film by the “Monitor” journalist, Nana Biganishvili.

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